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Southland Times, Issue 1006, 19 August 1868, Page 2

We understand that F. H. Reinecker, Esq., has resigned hid seat as a member of the Provincial Council for the Waiau district. '"'.'. The enterprising proprietor of the Scandinavian Concert Hall is continually bringing forward fresh attractions. From our advertising columns it will be seen that, in addition to his Readingroom, with a good collection of geological and natural curiosities, the American Skating Sink and Fencing Saloon, he has secured fresh musical talent. Miss Johanna Burke, late of the London and Dublin Concert Halls, has recently arrived, and nightly sings, with marked approbation, English, Scotch, and Irish Ballads. If the Government is not doing all we could desire in the way of town improvements, it is continually doing something, and doing it welL We have observed, during the last few fine days, men engaged in forming Esk- street (cart way) to its full width, and making considerable progress. It is to be hoped that the foot-path on the south side of the street will also be formed, for at present it is not only unsightly, but positively dangerous. The Wellington correspondent of the ' Grey Eiver Argus/ gives a humorous account of the bewilderment of one of our Maori legislators when called upon to give his vote in the House of Representatives. The question was a proposed reduction of the honorarium paid to the members, and although the Maori M.H.R. had no doubt a tolerably clear insight into the merit of it, his anxiety perhaps arose from a fear of giving his vote against his intention. The writer of the letter says : — ' Just as the division took place, one of the Maori members (who appeared to be in blissful ignorance of the whole affair) seemed to hesitate as to which side he should follow as the members were filing past. Whips for each party got at him, and in broken Maori and equally broken English (why will Englishmen fancy a foreigner understands English better when it is mutilated ?) were endeavoring to explain the merits of the question, The words ' Kaipai the utu' ' They want to take away the utu,' ' Utu nc good,' &c, served only to confound the sable legislator, who however at last, true to his native instincts, voted against the discontinuance of the payment.' The Melbourne " Herald," sth August says : — "It is stated that his Excellency the Governor intends to make Geelong his summer residence during the ensuing hot season, and also that arrangements have been made whereby the residence of Mr Armytage, on Newtown Hill, will be placed at the disposal of the vice-regal family and suite. If this is the case, the town will be a little more enlivened by the fashion of the colony than t has been during preceding summers."

The following are some of the taxes on incomes and profits on trade in America : — Mr W. B. Astor is taxed for municipal purposes on a property valued at £3,000,000 and upwards ; he returned his income last year at about £200,000, and he actually paid altogether during the year 1867 a sum exceeding £80,000 in direct taxeß. alone. One opulent citizen was taxed upon property assessed i-'at £1,500,000, and three others were rated on a capital of nearly £1,000,000 each. Some of the trading incomes, however -much* -they -may -have been reduced, - are still magnificent in amount. Mr J. G-. Bennett, of the 'New York Herald,' returns between £30,000 and £85,000 for the profits of the year ; Mr Bonner, of the • New York Ledger,' little shorrof£oO,ooo. Mr R. M. Hoe, the manufacturer of the printingpresses which bear his native, cleared over £20,000 in 1867 j and MrDelmonico, the hotel-keeper, about £14,000 j while the Eev Henry Ward Beecher returns an income of nearly £8000, or about 1 twice that of an English bishop. From Cincinnati: the largest return for last year is but £24,000, from Chicago £40,000. This was cleared by Mr M'Cormick, the maker of the reaping machines ; but a manufacturer of * sleeping cars' for railways reported his profits at nearly £15,000. The 'Chicago Tribune,' too, must be a flourishing country paper, for it returns £5500 to one of its proprietors, and £5200 to anothe_r. The ' Auckland Herald,' Ist August, says : — ' Prospecting is still being continued with more or less success at Eangariri and the vicinity, and what is perhaps of more importance, the native news is of a far more re-assuring character than we have of late received. From a letter received recently from Ngaruawahia, we learn that Mr Mackay's visit has been attended with considerable success, and that the prospect of a renewal of hostilities in the Waikato district, which, for some weeks past has been imminent, need no longer be feared. Mr Mackay, it seems, has been successful in his southern, as a short time since he was in his northern, mission. The ' Southern Cross,' Ist August, says : — '■We are indebted to Captain Sayce, of the schooner * Kauri,' which arrived in harbor on Thursday morning from Papete, Tahiti, for copies of the ' Tahitian Messenger,' of the latest dates. We find in them, however, very little news of interest. On the sth ultimo, the flagship of the Japanese squadron, a large iron-clad frigate put into Papete to coal, and was shortly afterwards followed by another large vessel belonging to the same squadron. On. the 6th J une there was a magnificent celebration of the nuptials of the son of Queen Pomare and the niece of Mr Blackett, of Papete. A royal salute was fired from the men-of-war in the port, the whole city and shipping was decorated with flags, and the day was spent on all hands in feasting and merriment. We also notice that the French transport, ' Chevert,' Captain D'Esteinne, had returned from San Francisco, where she had safely conveyed the Bight Bey. Bishop Pompallier and his neice. Mr Wolfe, the manager of the estates of James Hort, Esq., was leaving by the schooner 'Surprise,' for Sydney. No Auckland vessels had arrived or departed during the time the 'Kauri* laid in Papete.'. The ' Sydney Mail,' Ist August, says : — ' For the postal service the Panama route seems to be growing in favor with the public. We understand that the letters received by the Bakaia, June 29, were greatly in excess of the number by any previous mail, while the letters dispatched July 2 were more than three times the number of those by the outward mails of February and March last. The mails have been repeatedly delivered both ways within 56 days. Last month there were four days here, including day of arrival and departure, for answering correspondence. This month there will be six days. A correspondent suggests that the favorable side of the Panama question is left out of view a good deal of late, and it is only fair that the best that can be Baid in its favor should be stated. The great bulk, he adds, of our letters^— all that go by the Southampton division of the Suez mail — might go by Panama. This, independently o the Bpecial circumstances of the present time of departure, is nearly midway between the Suez mail of this month and the following one. Again, if the Panama mail steamers called at Auckland instead of Wellington, a day or two would generally be saved in the passage to Sydney.' The 'Westland Times,' says;— ' The division of parties in the County Council is now tolerably well defined. We may assume, as a matter of certainty, that whatever Mr Shaw proposes Mr Carey will oppose j that whatever measure can be suspected of favouring Hokitika interests will be contested to the uttermost extremity by Mr Barff, Mr Harrison, and Mr Hoos ; that any indication given by the County Chairman in the course of a d.bate of his opinion and of his wish as to the way in which a particular vote should be carried, will always have the effect of controlling the decision of the Houße. We have said the division of parties is defined. We may rank honourable members as follows : — On one side, Mr Carey, Mr Harrison, Mr Hoos, and Mr Barff; on the other side, Mr Clarke, Mr Keary, Mr Whall, and Mr Shaw. These numbers represent a tie, and every decision depends on the casting vote of the Chairman. That casting vote, we are sorry to Bay, is invariably given with the side of the Council consisting of Mr Carey and his supporters. We have a Council of eight, the most important decisions of which are carried by the casting vote of the Chairman — an officer nominated by the General Government. We have two Hokitika members in constant antagonism to each other j two Greymouth members never pulling together; and four country members who divide equally against each other on every important question.' In transmitting the Divorce Bill home for her Majesty's assent, it was accompanied by_ the following memorandum from Mr Stafford: — "This bill contains similar provisions to the laws now in force in England on the same Bubject, and is a clpse copy of the ' Divorce Act' now in force in Victoria j but Ministers deem it right to dii ect attention to the fact, that strong doubts have been expressed as to the position in whi h persons married in England would be pin cd if they should after emigrating to New Z-sbmd, be professedly divorced under the presumed authority of the bill now transmitted, and should afterwards return to Eugland ; it bein.ee contented that in such a case such persons might be held to be in England, legally man and wife, notwithstanding the presumed divorce in New Zealand. Consequently, legislation by the Imperial Parliament would appear to be required with a view to the determination of doubts with respect %o a

question of such importance." As our readers | are aware, the Act was assented to ; but it is only now, by the following extract from a despatch written by the Duke of Buckingham, that we learn what had been said about, the difficulty raised by Mr Stafford:-—" The Law Officers of the Crown, to whom the subject was referred, are of opinion that the law as regards the status in this country of British subjects who jhave been married here and divorced out of- .England, on their return'to this country, is in many respects in an unsatisfactory state; but they "consider that a sentence of divorce underthe Act now confirmed, upon the grounds identically the same aa those recognized in this conntry, would be held to be valid here." : '